By the Stars that Shine from the Dawn
by Toruushin
Summary: Byleth never really had any companions. She was...different, something that always drove others away. For one, it doesn't matter. After all, the sun embraces all of her children, no matter how strange they may be.


**Inspired by Constellations, made by ****UnwelcomeStorm****.**

**Summary: Byleth never really had any companions. She was...different, something that always drove the other children away from interacting with her. For one, it doesn't matter. The sun embraces all of her children, no matter how strange they may be.**

* * *

When she was five, Byleth met a strange white wolf.

It had been a little innocuous outing that she had deigned to make on her own. Just a little stroll out into the woods bordering the little village her father had established as their home.

Jeralt had gone to the Kingdom for a job along with his mercenaries about three days before it happened. Something about some noble who wanted an escort into Alliance territory? Byleth didn't really know all of the details, primarily due to the fact that she hadn't bothered to pay attention to any of that.

The important thing was, her father had left her in the village due to her age. Byleth had understood that she was too young to be holding a weapon of any kind, and that her father didn't want him to experience a life of bloodshed too early. It was something done out of a mixture of love and worry, something which Byleth most certainly had appreciated at the time. It didn't hurt any less when she had to watch her father's back as he had left, never knowing when he would come back home.

As such, Byleth had been left to her own devices, watched over by the few mercenaries who her father had left behind to watch over him.

The men had tried their best to entertain her and keep her company, but it had been pretty clear that they had absolutely no idea how to handle a child, much less a little girl of the age of five. That what they knew of children had come from studying the little noble brats, as they so aptly named them, something that they knew very well that Byleth wasn't. The little games that the soldiers had managed to cobble together were fun in their own way, but Byleth had quickly lost interest after it had become apparent that they didn't have anything else to do. It had been on the third day that Igbert, an elderly former hunter-turned-archer from a distant little country named 'Brigid,' suggested that he take Byleth into the woods with a few of the others, potentially to help her learn a little herbology and hunting tricks.

_It would be a fantastic learning experience for the little wolf_, he had stated.

Byleth didn't have any problems with that, which had ultimately led to the teal-haired little girl taking a hike in the woods with several of the mercenaries.

Igbert, as old as he was, had seemed to grow a little bit younger the moment he had been placed into his natural environment. While his knowledge of Fódlan's fauna was a bit lacking, most likely due to the differentiating climate of Brigid's usually sunny weather, the stories that he had told were something else in their own right.

Tales of spirits of creation who had built the Earth from the very essence of the earth. Legendary warrior kings who served as the vessels of powerful godlike beings, bringing peace across the lands. There was even a tale of a hero who had been born from an enormous peach, defeating demons of all kinds with his three animal companions...something that Byleth had a hard time of understanding, but had gone along with all the same.

"Where did all of these things originate from, Uncle Igbert?" she had asked. Igbert had offered her a warm smile, before gesturing her to follow him into a clearing in the forest.

It was a little patch of earth, covered in flowers of all kinds. Multiple colors glowed in the afternoon light of the sun, the warmth that they radiated much more than just a physical kind. The sun's gentle beams caressed the vegetation, with little bees flying about and collecting nectar to bring to their hive.

Quiet. Still. Peaceful. Absolutely unremarkable. Yet, here in this place where only nature resided, Byleth had felt...relaxed. It was as if this place was so...pure. Homely. Akin to the times she had fallen asleep in her father's arms.

Truly, it was quite indescribable.

Igbert had gestured towards the yellow sun, one weathered finger pointing to the yellow orb in the sky. "Do you see that, little wolf? The little yellow orb which hangs in the sky? That, is the source of all life on this earth. Every living being who lives on the surface of this world, no matter who or what they are, relies on that very celestial to keep us alive. It provides heat, light, and keeps us from feeling fear of the dark."

"The sun." Byleth had finished, gray eyes faced towards the sky, yet unable to look directly at the brilliant yellow ball hovering in the vast blue sky.

"Did you know, little wolf? When I was young, there was an old tale that my mother used to say to me, every night when I was too afraid to sleep. Even though my memory isn't what it used to be, this is the one story that I could never truly forget, even today."

* * *

_Long ago, the world existed as a land of darkness. The Great Evil, Yami, terrorized the world of man, corrupting the very land that they relied on. Demons of all kinds roamed the earth, hideous monstrosities flew through the sky, and fear ran rampant at the sight of the dead rising from the underworld. Humans were weak, praying that something might save them_.

_Then, __**she**__ came. _

_**Her**__ very presence brought about life and light to spread across the land. Demons were vanquished, the dead were put to rest, and the skies were cleared of all of their filth. Before long, the Great Evil was driven away, unable to withstand the brilliance that was her. Before long, once the earth was freed from its bindings, __**she**__ rose into the heavens, leaving behind the blazing orb which would continuously radiate with __**her**__ light._

_One final gift, given by a nameless deity who had saved the world._

_Humanity was saved because of her... but never was able to hear her name. So when they erected shrines dedicated to her majesty, nobody knew what to write down._

_Then, one little girl, a girl who bore a head of hair of the purest white, spoke aloud._

"_**Amaterasu**__. "__She, who illuminates the Heavens__". That is her name." Conviction burned in her eyes, as she gazed towards the statue in the shape of a wolf. "A name, befitting one who has brought this world alight from the darkness."_

_And with that, so it was_.

* * *

Byleth had listened attentively, absorbing each and every single one of the words that the elderly man had told her. While she couldn't physically express it, she was alight with bewonderment. Each and every single detail, from the disfigured animal-like demons, the Great Evil, to the fact that the sun was a literal gift from a deity above–

All of it was surreal. Impossible. Inconceivable by even by Byleth's standards. Yet, even though it was just merely a story, something that should by all means not be possible in the world today, Byleth couldn't help but feel...something when she heard the goddess's name. That she could actually believe in Igbert's words, that the passion he had expressed was genuine.

Admiration, all dedicated towards the deity who represented the sun itself.

**Amaterasu**.

"_She who illuminates the Heavens."_

A majestic being who accomplished the impossible, all while asking for nothing in return. Someone who Byleth wanted to understand more, possibly even getting the chance to meet her.

It was on that day, when the mercenaries decided to take a short break in the clearing, that Byleth made her decision. It was a childish decision, made by a little girl who was barely the age of six, but it was one that she truly wanted to accomplish.

_I want to meet her_, she had thought, as she sat a ways away from the others on a small log. _I want to be her friend.  
_  
Such was the dream of one little girl who couldn't express her emotions very well, pondering to herself as she nibbled on a piece of cheese. It was so idealistically pure, something that by all means should be impossible to even achieve. The world didn't give miracles after all. Prayers could only do so much–

Then – she saw it.

A great big wolf, covered in a coat of the purest white. Strange red markings adorned its body, but was too fine to look like blood. It was as if they were natural as the day the wolf had been born. Bearing a stark contrast to the shadows that the trees gave off, it was akin to seeing a light in a sea of black, it was so discernable to make out in the shade of the forest.

It was looking at her, just as she was looking at it. It was a surreal, just having a staring contest with a beast that seemingly showed more intelligence than most. She didn't do anything, even when it started to approach her. Any other child would have probably screamed in fright, running away in hopes of not getting eaten by the massive canine. Byleth knew better, that in her current state she had absolutely no hope of getting away from an animal composed of at least several tons of muscle. Anyone who turned away would be practically asking to get eaten.  
Byleth also knew that judging by the behavior of the wolf, it was no threat to her. Her father had taught her the basics when it came to understanding a wolf's intentions, but it was enough that Byleth was confident that she was not going to be harmed, even as her heart raced.

This line of thought was only cemented when the great big dog gave her a sloppy affectionate lick, before panting at her with a wide doggy grin.

"Yuck." Byleth attempted to wipe her face, only for her efforts to have been in vain as the dog started to give her more of its slobbery kisses, leading to her giving a slight giggle as the giant pink tongue tickled her chin. Before long, she had given up resisting, simply bearing the constant assault the massive animal insisted on giving her.

It was only when the wolf had stopped, that Byleth had managed to pull her face away, petting its massive head with a small smile. "You're not a normal wolf, are you?" The wolf chuffed almost as if in agreement, before sniffing the piece of cheese that Byleth still held in her hand. "I don't think that's a good idea. Can dogs even eat cheese?" Upon the wolf licking the fermented milk product without any negative effects whatsoever, Byleth surrendered the remaining portion of her snack, which was immediately devoured with gusto. Upon the last morsel being swallowed, the wolf raised its head before giving another endearing big doggy grin.

"You'll need a name if I want to call you anything other than 'Doggie'…" Byleth's mind trailed back towards the story that Igbert had told her not too long ago. A wolf goddess, she who saved the world once from an eternal night. While this was definitely no goddess, it seemed fitting to give her first genuine friend a name befitting one of great strength… "How about it, Ammy?"

The wolf gave a bark of agreement, tail thumping on the ground wildly. Byleth gave off a small smile, patting the massive head once again as she came to her ultimate decision.

"I think we're going to be best friends. Don't you agree?"

Amaterasu smiled.

* * *

When Jeralt came home, he was greeted with the sight of his daughter hugging a strange massive white wolf, giving him an innocent expression…or, as innocent as Byleth could make herself look.

...was the wolf copying her?

"Can we keep her?" Byleth asked with a voice as cute as she could make it, squishing her cheek into the wolf's thick neck.

_Adorable. _That was the only word he could use to describe the sight. Byleth, giving a _genuine_ smile towards him for once in his life. But how did it happen...?

The elder Eisner gave Igbert a raised eyebrow, to which the older man offered him a shrug. "She found it in the forest. The wolf imprinted on her. It must have been Fate's decision. What can I say?"

..._what in the world was __THAT__ supposed to mean? _

Jeralt gave the duo before him another look, still pondering over his decision.

...the wolf was definitely trying to look cute.

Unable to reject the earnest expression that his daughter was making (and totally not because of the slight glint of challenge coming from the wolf), Jeralt gave a sigh of agreement.

And just like that, 'Ammy' joined the Eisner family.


End file.
